Cornerstone University - Newshttp://www.cugoldeneagles.com/
Sun, 02 Aug 2015 19:29:10 -0600FeedCreator 1.7.2[Outdoor Track & Field] Watch Cornerstone at NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National ...http://www.cugoldeneagles.com/article/2039.php
For the first time, the NAIA Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field National Championships will be offered on the NAIA Network. The event will be hosted by the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Sports Commission from May 22 – 24 at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium in Gulf Shores, Ala.There will be four cameras covering the action with live commentary. Click here to sign up.]]>randy.strawser@cornerstone.edu (Randy Strawser)Tue, 20 May 2014 08:15:00 -0600http://www.cugoldeneagles.com/article/2039.php[Outdoor Track & Field] Risch Storms to Fourth in 20k Championshiphttp://www.cugoldeneagles.com/article/1683.php
(Des Moines, Iowa) Foul weather returned on the final day of the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, IA. Shortly before the scheduled 7 a.m. start of the men's 20k race walk, meet officials evacuated the stadium as a thunderstorm system approached. For the next three hours, the athletes waited in the Knapp arena. On three occasions, officials announced that lightening was still in the area and the race was still on hold indefinitely.

Three hours later, athletes were allowed to return to the track and given 30 minutes to warm up. The junior women's 10k race walk, scheduled to follow the 20k would now be contested simultaneously so as not to put the rest of the days' events behind schedule. That put CU freshman, Kayla Ovokaitys along with sophomore, Nate Vanderwall and senior Cody Risch altogether in the combined races.

Risch started the 50 lap event walking just under two minutes per lap with Vanderwall ten seconds back after an opening mile of 7:36.

Ovokaitys walked near the back of the Jr. Women's field of ten and worked her way up to eighth but getting two form violations. Kayla slowed a bit in the final laps to minimize the risk of receiving a third mark which would result in disqualification, and didn't respond when passed by Melissa Tylock with 800 meters to go. A careful 25th lap brought her to the finish in 1:00:23.17 for ninth place.

Risch reached halfway passing 10k in 48:38 with one mark on the violation board. Vanderwall survived a digestive disagreement with an energy gel, barley slowing to vomit over the inside rail. He passed 10k in 50:30 and a mark on the board as well.

Risch picked up momentum in the second half, as several in the field faded, passing former NAIA champion Michael Mannozzi. With two miles to go he trailed Alejandro Chavez of Missouri Baptist by nearly 200 meters, but he also had two marks. Needing to avoid a repeat of the NAIA Indoor 3,000 meter championship where Risch beat Chavez in the last lap but was disqualified, Cody worked to find the balance between aggressively pursuing Chavez and avoiding his third mark. With 500 meters to go, Risch pulled even, then moved ahead. Chavez made a half-hearted attempt to go along, but within a few steps his head dropped and he conceded.

Risch held form to the finish, taking fourth in 1:49:39.51, a personal best by seven minutes and the highest finish by a CU athlete at a US Open Championship. Tim Seamam of New York Athletic Club won in 1:30:13.06

Vanderwall also collected a second mark and walked much of the second half trying to avoid his third. He finished eighth in 1:49:39.51.

Both Risch and Vanderwall qualified for prize money but as collegiate athletes were ineligible to accept it.

]]>randy.strawser@cornerstone.edu (Randy Strawser)Sat, 22 Jun 2013 21:10:00 -0600http://www.cugoldeneagles.com/article/1683.php[Outdoor Track & Field] Cornerstone Sends Six to US Nationals http://www.cugoldeneagles.com/article/1674.php
DEMOINES, IA (6/19) The Cornerstone Track & Field teams have one meet remaining on the 2013 schedule, the USA Track & Field National Championships at Drake University in Demoines, IA.

Half the group will compete in the USATF Jr. meet, for athletes who do not turn twenty years old in 2013. The other three race in the Open US Championships.

Freshman, Deon Fox qualified in the decathlon which will take place Wednesday June 19 starting at 1:30 p.m. (all times eastern standard) and Thursday June 20 at 11 a.m. Classmate Michael Mahon competes in the hammer throw Friday June 21 at 2 p.m. and Kayla Ovokaitys is in the 10k race walk Sunday June 23 at 9:45 a.m.

Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. Monica Lawrence and CU T&F alumnus, Janelle Brown are in the 20k race walk followed by Cody Risch and Nate Vanderwall in the same event Sunday at 8 a.m.

"Not only is it a special honor to compete at the US Championships, it's a great opportunity to see and get to meet the very best Track & Field athletes in the United States," said CU Director of Track & Field, Rod Wortley.

The meet also serves as the trials for the World Championships to be held in Moscow, Russia this summer as well as the Pan Am Junior Championships scheduled for August in Medellin, Colombia.

]]>aimee.luurtsema@cornerstone.edu (Aimee Luurtsema)Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:35:00 -0600[Outdoor Track & Field] Track & Field Athletes start competition today at NAIA National ...http://www.cugoldeneagles.com/article/1656.php
Cornerstone will be sending 25 male and femaleh athletes to the NAIA National Championships in Marion, Indiana. Below is a list of athletes and their events.

]]>randy.strawser@cornerstone.edu (Randy Strawser)Thu, 23 May 2013 06:40:00 -0600[Outdoor Track & Field] Flooding forces Half-Marathon onto trackhttp://www.cugoldeneagles.com/article/1606.php
(Grand Rapids, Mich.) In the week leading up to the Q Elite Spring Half Marathon, race director, Nate Van Holten rerouted the course four times to avoid the rising Grand River. Race morning he was at it again, only do find the water was covering the road almost behind him.

The only alternative was to move the race to the Forest Hills Northern High School track and run 52 ¾ laps.

Juniors, Ben Foreman and Erin Laplander entered the race looking for national qualifying times. Travis Mabe, who qualified in December ran with Ben the entire way keeping the laps between 1:20 and 1:23. The pair finished together in 1:11:52, well under the automatic qualifying standard of 1:13:00.

Laplander enjoyed a larger pace group that got bigger as the race went on. Needing to average 7:05 per mile, Erin stayed on pace through ten miles then picked it up over the last 5 kilometers. Running the final mile in 6:48, brought the group of five across the line in a blanket finish in 1:32:19, forty-one seconds under the NAIA provisional standard.

(Grand
Rapids, Mich.) Cornerstone University Athletics Department announced a
restructuring of the Cross Country and Track & Field programs going into
the 2012-2013 seasons.

Rod Wortley,
head coach of the Men's and Women's teams since 1996 has been named Director of
Cross Country and Track & Field. Assistant
Track & Field Coach, Paul Koutz is now the Head Women's Track & Field
Coach and Assistant Men's Track & Field Coach. Assistant Cross Country Coach, Nate Van Holten
has been chosen as the Head Men's Cross Country Coach and Assistant Track &
Field Coach.

"With the
growth and success of these two programs we felt the time was right to
restructure our staff in order to handle the demands of the programs and better
serve our student athletes." said CU Athletics Director, Dave Grube. "Coach
Wortley and his staff have done a tremendous job and these new changes will
only enhance our opportunity for success."

As Head
Coach, Wortley has presided over 28 consecutive appearances at the NAIA Indoor
and Outdoor National Championships as well as 14 trips to the NAIA Cross
Country Championships. Most recently the teams returned from the 2012 Outdoor
National meet where the women took 12th and the men 19th.

"Paul and
Nate have been instrumental in bringing our teams to where we are today," said
Wortley. "As athletes, Paul scored the first point for the men's team at a
National Championship and Nate was part of our first All-American relay team.
Since then, they have had a hand in training most of our All-Americans and
National Champions. Their dedication to the athletes and loyalty to Cornerstone
has been outstanding. I'm pleased to see
them develop professionally and keep them here as head coaches."

]]>randy.strawser@cornerstone.edu (Randy Strawser)Fri, 15 Jun 2012 16:03:54 -0600http://www.cugoldeneagles.com/article/1150.php[Outdoor Track & Field] Track and Field teams set to compete at NAIA National Championshipshttp://www.cugoldeneagles.com/article/1129.php
The Men's and Women's Track and Field teams will be competing in the NAIA National Championships in Marion, Ind. beginning Thursday, May 24th. 12 women and 12 men have qualified for the Championships.